Sunday night wrap-up: Morris becomes a Redskins legend

For most of the year, Redskins running back Alfred Morris was the other rookie, if that.

Sunday night, he put his name up with John Riggins, or at least Timmy Smith.

Morris ran 33 times for 200 yards and three touchdowns, in the Redskins 28-18 win over the Cowboys. With their seventh straight win, the Redskins advance to the playoffs as the NFC East champion, and will host the Seahawks next Sunday.

The Cowboys’ season ends with an 8-8 record.

And it ended thanks in large part to the sixth-rounder from Florida Atlantic.

Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was obviously ailing (and threw for only 100 yards), so it was on Morris to carry the load offensively.

He did that, and then some, controlling the game from the inside out, even though the Cowboys knew what was coming. It’s the kind of performance that sets up an old school duel with Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch next week.

But even before the playoffs start, it was the kind of game that made Morris part of a rich history of runners.

His three picks Sunday night will continue to define him, such that the definition changed.

It’s a shame, because he had played so well the last month, and been so good in fourth quarters.

But he may never be able to escape the fact that when it’s time for a play to be made, he ends up making it for the other team. Defensive end Jason Hatcher tried to take him off the hook with a ridiculous penalty at a ridiculous time (the first of the night for the Cowboys), but Romo will remain the focus, as he should.

2. Between the evaluation of Mike Shanahan or the budding genius of his son Kyle drawing up plays for the offense, it’s been easy to miss to work done by Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.

Keep in mind, this is a coach that lost his best pass-rusher in Brian Orakpo along with defensive end Adam Carriker two games into the season.

He’s built the thing around London Fletcher, who has battled injuries all year and wasn’t the fastest to begin with. But Haslett dialed up pressure, and it got home enough to keep the Cowboys off-balance.

It’s not an easy thing he’s done, but the Redskins have responded on that side of the ball. They’re not great, but they’ve been good enough, long enough.

3. That said, the Cowboys were running out of numbers and nametags on defense.

They entered the night with a one-armed DeMarcus Ware, then outside linebacker Anthony Spencer went down with an injury in the third quarter, though he’d come back.

Polumbus missed one game with a concussion, otherwise the group has been intact all season. Rookie Josh LeRibeus replaced Lichtensteiger briefly in the third quarter, but they finished the game the way they’ve played the second half of the season.

At the 3 minute mark, just before he threw the interception, the ghost of Bagger Vance appeared to Tony Romo, telling him that he had booked a 9am tee time for tomorrow morning. He then disappeared into the ether. The rest is history.

How bout them Redskins? This Division title is dedicated to John Mara, who failed epically in his deceitful, cheating ways. His team is eliminated, the Washington Redskins are the kings of the NFC East…just as it should be. This win also goes out to those blind critics who said this couldn’t be done…those who continously doubted Robert Griffin and gave him silly nicknames like “IRG3″ or “RGLeaf”, enjoy this. I warned everyone in the offseason that this was the RGIII Era and either you respect the Washington Redskins or prepare to get humbled. Did or Didn’t I say Dez Feared DeAngelo? Did or didn’t I say Alfred Morris is the only RB that matters in the NFC East? The NFC East learned the hard way…know it’s time for the NFL to feel it. 7 down, 4 to go. Lombardi #4 is coming to Washington DC. It’s only a matter of time now.

As a life long 49er fan rooting for the Skins against the Cowboys twice a year is a tradition. RGIII has made it fun again. Congrats.

skins92 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:36 PM

Love this team, someone always steps up whether its RG3, Morris, special teams or the defense. Enjoy this Skins fans, it’s been 13 long years but we’re NFC East Champs!!!

rcotner says:Dec 30, 2012 11:37 PM

Seattle vs. Washington should be an awesome game.

ynot1381 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:37 PM

This will only further the delusions of logicalvoicesays.

Still, Washington sure played great. Hard to believe RG3 and Morris are rookies.

pesh00 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:37 PM

1st and 10 at the skins 40 yd line and you don’t run at all….that was bout the worst play calling. Instead Romo
Gets sacked and we have to punt. Why not try to pick up 5-6 yds so atleast within field goal range??? It changes the complexion of the game especially after the TD later.

And that wasn’t the first time…we had the ball twice at mid field or less and 3 passes later its a punt?!? I like Garrett but its time for a real OC.

ynot1381 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:37 PM

This will only further the delusions of logical voicesays.

Still, Washington sure played great. Hard to believe RG3 and Morris are rookies.

such a shame..im a huge dallas fan and ive been vouching for romo for years and ill still take him over most of the qb’s in the league, but dang does he make it hard to put up an argument for him. i cant take much more of this. the cowboys keep having the same results year in and year out. this is the 3rd time now in a divisional win and in game that they have choked. and they have done it against each of the NFC East teams. the offense looks soo good the last half of the season and the D has stepped up..not sure why i got my hopes up..good job redskins blitz and alfred morris, you beat my team and straight up out played them. cant get mad at you for that (although i still hope you choke next week)

seacab1972 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:38 PM

Looking forward to a rookie showdown at QB and a battle of bruising running backs. Should be a good game. My prediction Seahawks 24-10.

panthrobro says:Dec 30, 2012 11:38 PM

Thats awesome we get to play the offensive mascots. Seattle Seahawks will end your season like the last 2 times you made the playoffs.

Can’t wait to see RW3 (Russell Wilson and wears #3) to beat RG3 and get the national attention RW3 deserves.

Enjoy your victory offensive mascots, it will all come to an end shortly after the new year.

thefiesty1 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:39 PM

How ’bout dem CowBabies? 3 ints and can’t tackle a blivet. JJ needs to get out of the football business.

As Skins fans that aren’t internet trolls we are very happy people right now. Happy that the Skins won the division. Happy that the Skins are in the playoffs for the 1st time since 2007. And ****ing ecstatic that the Skins ground the hated Cowboys into the FedEx turf to achieve this and swept those turds to boot.

Having said all that, what a game to look forward to next Sunday at 4:30pm est? Griffin vs Wilson. Rematch of the 2007 playoffs. 2 teams playing great football at the right time. Should be a lot of fun.

enochmh2 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:43 PM

Romo just keeps proving his critics right

gcberger says:Dec 30, 2012 11:43 PM

Seattle will be a tough team to beat – – but remember. they,ll have to cross three time zones and play in frigid weather.

It probably wouldn’t have mattered because romo is the king of all choke artists but that personal foul call to essentially ice the game was abysmal and another reason why this will be my last season watching this mess. Terrible ending to a great game. Thanks rog for ruining the only thing left this country has going for it.

fakefranknunley says:Dec 30, 2012 11:45 PM

Congrats Logical. I am sure The Skins will advance next week as God would never reward such an immoral person as Pete Carroll.

“Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III was obviously ailing (and threw for only 100 yards), so it was on Morris to carry the load offensively.”

Was it obvious? He seemed to run good to me. Run like a guy with a sore knee and wearing a bulky knee brace that limits his mobility.

As for only throwing for 100 yards, why did Griffin need to throw when the Gents from Dallas could do nothing to stop Alfred Morris and his 200 yards and 3 tds?

Also keep in mind the greater DC area was treated to 20+ mph wind gusts all day. So the Skins went into the game with that in mind. Pound the Gents from Dallas into the FedEx turf with a 6th round rookie RB that is plain friggin awsome.

kvanhorn87 says:Dec 30, 2012 11:48 PM

Rg3 passed for a 100 yards. Stop praising him like he is Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady. Typical stiff running QB. No other QB could play a must win game and only throw for a 100 yards.

blackngold4life says:Dec 30, 2012 11:48 PM

If the Skins add some pieces on Defense and RG3 and Morris stay healthy they can Own that NFC east for years to come..that being said.. Romo gift wrapped that game as he usually dose. Now he’s feelin sick just like my boy Big Ben..they can both sit at home and watch good teams play. This next game against the Seahawks is gona be NICE! Congrats skins fans.

Laughing my ass off. Everyone that said at the beginning of the year that the Redskins will always be at the bottom of the NFC East. Romo couldn’t get that picture of Jessica’s big breast out of his mind.

turboreattore says:Dec 30, 2012 11:49 PM

over and over and over again, it’s the same old Romo, when it counts he sucks. How many times a guy have to fail to prove he’s bad at high level?

Dallas needs to trade Romo, they just won’t win anything of importance with him as the leader/qb.He has alot of talent, but you can’t just keep hoping that he will suddenly become the guy to lead you to a title.Better to get good draft picks for him now rather then cut him in two-three years.

The better storyline next week is Wilson potentially outdueling Robert. Seattle is no joke.Though the Skins are going to be tough aswell for many years with Robert,Morris and Garcon.

As a niner fan i love RG3 and hate the cowboys. I actually look forward to logicalvoice’s post everyday, so i can smile or laugh because of his passion, but one thing was for sure he was right. Go Niners

footballalldayeveryday says:Dec 30, 2012 11:52 PM

Don’t anyone dare say Rg3 won that game. It was all Morris. Anyways, the Skins will be destroyed by Seattle for my pleasure.

coughlinsredcheeks says:Dec 30, 2012 11:52 PM

And now Voice will be insufferable this coming week. I knew there had to be some bad to come out of a Cowboys loss

Well, the only thing to say is that the skins were a better team. Everyone hoping that Jerry will hire a GM is hoping in vain. You knew when he bought the team that it would be this way, so like it, or quit complaining about it. I actually am friends with many skins fans and the great thing about this game was that there was the commonality of Mara trying to pin these teams down before the season even started, and yet here they were playing for the division title, which was awesome which we all had a beer and laughed about. I may hate the redskins, but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect what they have accomplished this year. You deserve to be division champs and all of you fans should hold your head high (except logicalvoices, that guy should have his posting privileges revoked for annoyance purposes alone). It seems to be our calling card, but there is always next year, if our owner will just draft some decent linemen and cut dead weight. This year should show any fan of any team that a turnaround in a single year is possible, so just shake it off fellow boys fans, and hope our owner doesn’t destroy continuity/ overpay a free agent/ sell our draft picks to move up 5 spots.

I’m a die hard skins fan, but with our suspect defense and gimpy QB, I can’t imagine a scenario where we can defeat an extremely talented Seattle team. I know it sounds negative, but I’m just trying to be realistic. Proud of this team for winning the division! Hail!

Redskins and Seahawks. Great matchup. They didn’t face each other in the regular season, both are on a hot streak, both with great rookie QBs and a run game. Mad excited for next week. Playoffs are going to be great to bring in the new year.

Jason Garrett said it himself, the better team won. Thats all you really need to know.

notoriousjebus says:Dec 31, 2012 12:04 AM

Romo seems like a really nice guy, but will this game finally silence the people that insist this guy is an elite QB? Three play off appearances in 7 years, 1 post season win, and 0-3 in win and your in games against division rivals pretty much is the definition of average/below average.

I know the cowboys were patchwork on defense, but those 3 INT’s fall squarely on Romo, not many defenses could overcome that.

Defense couldn’t stop them when the game was on the line, and the offense was…. typical, exactly what we’ve come to expect. After the second pick… in the first quarter… I told my wife that Romo would crumble when the game was on the line… true prophecy.

If this doesn’t spark MUCH needed redirection for the Cowboys… nothing will.

Hate to see decent folk fail… but it’s time to change up.

orivar says:Dec 31, 2012 12:15 AM

Oh god no! You couldn’t shut Redskin fans up when their team was at the bottom of the division, now that they’ve won the division I’m staying away from sports articles. They’re going to be about as obnoxious as the Saints during their superbowl run.

“WHO DAT!”

Somebody please knock the Nationals & Redskins back down to save for my sanity.

That was a great game! Thought Romo might finally shed his “choker” label, but that was a horrible pick that he threw in the 4th quarter. When is Dallas going to realize that Romo will never lead them to the promised land.

I dont even care about Seattle. We beat Dallas twice & ruined their season, and stuck our Salary Cap Penalty right up John Mara’s you-know-what too. Personally, I’ve discovered something about myself this season… I really DO hate the Cowboys at least as much as I love the Redskins, maybe more… Hail!!

Even with a lower cap than the other teams because of some BS witch-hunt led by the Giants’ owner, the Skins win the division. Man it feels good!

skinsftwbookit says:Dec 31, 2012 1:26 AM

The Cowboys and Yankees are out and the Lakers are down. That leaves Cowboys fans with only Duke to fall back on. Tough times.

kenstabler says:Dec 31, 2012 1:28 AM

It is a funny game, one bad throw and you are done. Romo had a few, but that last one was ugggggg. Really a bad decision in a game that had playoffs on the line, and the game in your grasp with 3 something to play. I feel for Tony, but he really lost that game for them.

I think the Cowboys will give him one last rodeo, but next year is it.

Logical voice-over and over I see your posts week in and week out. Everyone dogs you but I for one who bleeds the burgandy and gold would like to buy you a beer. Live in Sterling VA. Lets toast to out boys Hails bitches!!!!!!!!!!!

Don’t really care if RG3 wins rookie of the year we’re in the show and with the 2 best combined picks from the draft. I’ll take RG3 and the A-train all day. Congrats to all the teams making the tourney with rooks at the helm this is truly a gifted draft class!!! HTTR NFC East Champs

And people seriously thought that Sean Payton was going to take this guy on his team?

Psshhhhht

bigbenh8tr says:Dec 31, 2012 2:20 AM

A cowboys fan I’m dc. I hear the only embarrassing part of your fanbase are the silver spring and good counsel people. White trash party all day long

trollhammer20 says:Dec 31, 2012 2:53 AM

Going to be an epic battle next Sunday. Two stellar rookie QBs who beat you with their arms and their feet, two offenses that look a lot alike (zone blocking running games that are brutally effective, read-option a big part of the game), and two teams that take care of the football (Seattle +14 in turnover ratio, ‘Skins +18). Both are well-coached, and whoever advances will be a threat to other teams in the playoffs.

txnative61 says:Dec 31, 2012 3:10 AM

We all saw the Giants go all the way after beating the Boys in a similar play-in game last year. They had Coughlin, a healthy Manning, playoff experience, and stepped it up big in the playoffs. Couple of rookies leading the backfield, some other question marks, and no recent playoff experience make stepping up in the second season the big challenge for the Skins. The Seahawks next week are similar in that regard. Add playing on grass on the road in a colder January climate after traveling across the country to Eastern time where they lost to the Dolphins? Can Morris and RGIII find another gear against a great Seattle defense? Will Wilson and Lynch expose the Skins defense? Some chips on both teams’ shoulder’s, but top to bottom, I look for Seattle to show a tad more attitude, but have yet to prove its enough on the road.

I am not a Redskins fan. But for weeks I have been bashed for saying that Alfred Morris is the Rookie of Year. He is much more important to the Redskins success than Robert Griffin.

Griffin will probably get the award due to media. But my choices for ROY would be:
1. Alfred Morris
2. Andrew Luck
3. Doug Martin
4. Robert Griffin III

Without Morris the Skins would not be in any playoff position. He will not get the award because he is not a media darling and stays out of the limelight.

He is clearly more of a win maker thn RG3.

Without RG3 do you think Morris would have the kind of success he is having.

My point is having RG3 as threat to run and throw makes it a nightmare to defend him. Without RG3 the defense would key in on Morris and he would considerably less yardage.

RG3 is not only a leader on the field he is a great leader in the locker room. He clearly is the MVP for the Skins.

All though Morris has had a great year as well.

mazblast says:Dec 31, 2012 4:37 AM

My team didn’t make the playoffs. They didn’t deserve it, either. However, any season in which the Raiders, Dolphins, Giants, and especially Invincible Cowboys don’t make it either is a GOOD one. That leaves only two teams on my “Oh god, they’ll be so insufferable if they win it all” list that are still alive, and one of them really has little chance.

Redskins win the division. John Mara must be frothing at the mouth right now. Tomorrow he’ll be issuing orders to Roger Goodell–“I thought I told you to TAKE CARE of this!”

Twelve teams alive, and I’ll be happy for any of ten of them that wins it all. I like those odds.

I would just like to point out that it’s not Morris who is special, it’s Shanahan’s blocking scheme. Look at the list of nobodies he’s made into stars, I’m willing to bet when he walks in a couple of years he does nothing with his new team.

Seahawks are going to learn first hand what it is to play an NFC East game in freezing January weather with a deafening crowd.

Just learned this is the late game and by night fall it will be freezing cold–huge advantage Washington.

discosucs2005 says:Dec 31, 2012 7:22 AM

Hey Redskin fans, congrats on the win but get ready for a week of Seahawk fans filling your comments sections with predictions of a Seahawks victory.

And should you have the audacity to beat the Seahawks, as so many other teams have done, prepare to hear about how you cheated, or aren’t a classy team, or they’d certainly beat you in a different situation.

I’m not saying they’re more obnoxious than Cowboy fans, but after this week I’m betting you’ll be willing to have that debate.

Early in the game my CowPatty loving wife [bless her heart] screams at the TV while DHall is scrapping at the ball in Dez’s hands while he’s on the ground.

“He’s dirty! I hate that guy. If there’s one guy on the Skins I hate, it that scumbag”.

Holdon, hon. I didn’t hear a whistle. If my back isn’t fighting ’till the end of the play, I don’t want him starting.

Amazing rebirth for him last night. I think he said something like “If we win or loose the game, it’s my fault!”. Game ball. D Hall.

skinsgal4life says:Dec 31, 2012 8:38 AM

I love you, RG3, but I think Alfred gets my vote for Rookie of the Year.

larrydavid7000 says:Dec 31, 2012 9:09 AM

All I have to say is the seachickens are gonna get a BeatDown. your 12 man won’t be around and your not at home.BeatDown.!!!!!!!!!Hail To The REDSKINS.!!!!!!! This is a Revenge Game Period.!!!!

richwizl says:Dec 31, 2012 9:10 AM

It was a great game and a terrific ending to the season. It always hurts to lose a big game like this and it was classy that RG3 went over to Romo at the end and said some words, warrior to warrior. I was behind the Skins, but in no way would I dump on a superb athlete like Tony Romo and spew hatred upon him; that just shows you’re low-class.

lavishcountryboy says:Dec 31, 2012 9:13 AM

Just goes to show what a homerun top pick and late round draft nugget can do for a franchise.

hellswitch says:Dec 31, 2012 9:58 AM

I was going to go on a rant about Dallas over this game and their entire season and probably deep into many, many seasons… But In the end I couldn’t come up with the words….

I will say this. I feel bad for the likes of Jason Witten and Demarcus Ware. Two warriors of enormous character outside of football that you can always count on but will never get a ring. Congrats to the ‘Skins and their fans.

Sincerely,

36 year Die Hard Dallas Cowboy Fan

georgeremus says:Dec 31, 2012 10:11 AM

As a Giants fan I am glad the Skins got in….they deserve it and it’s been a long time. They are going to be a pain in the ass in the NFC East for as long as they can keep RG3 healthy….Beat the Seahawks!!

cometkazie says:Dec 31, 2012 4:24 PM

turboreattore says:
Dec 30, 2012 11:49 PM

over and over and over again, it’s the same old Romo, when it counts he sucks. How many times a guy have to fail to prove he’s bad at high level?
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